If you go to a supermarket, you can easily find bananas for under $1. But a banana stuck to a wall with duct tape is expected to fetch between $1 million and $1.5 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York.
“The Comedian” – A Strange Artwork Created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, this artwork is known as “The Comedian”. It was first exhibited at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019. Three “fruit versions” were produced at the time. The artwork became a hot topic in the art world.
Was this artwork a joke? Or an attempt to comment on modern art? Another artist took a banana off the wall and ate it. Later another banana was brought in its place. The crowd to see this piece of art grew so great that the “comedian” was removed from the exhibit. However, three versions sold for between $120,000 and $150,000, Perrotin Gallery reported.
Now up to $1.5 million The “Comedian” is estimated to fetch between $1 million and $1.5 million at Sotheby’s on Nov. 20. David Galperin, head of contemporary art at Sotheby’s, called the work “profound and evocative”.
“Through this artwork, Cattelan tries to reflect the modern art world. He tries to find answers to the questions of how we value works of art, how we define art,” said Galperin.
New bananas and tapes every time:-
Native Miami bananas will not be sold at the auction. Those bananas are old. Sotheby’s explained that these fruits and tapes were always meant to be replaced.
The artwork was created by Cattelan to attract the attention of ultra- rich art collectors. However, it would be wrong to see this as just a humorous challenge.
Fun or serious thought?
Cattelan is often considered a “trickster artist”. But, along with humor, his artwork has a deep and serious message. Sometimes it forces us to look at the dark side of history or ourselves.
Through this work of art, Catalan reminds us of exploitation and imperialism in global trade. The banana’s history is intertwined with labor exploitation and corporate power. “It’s hard to find a simpler symbol of global trade and exploitation than the banana,” said art critic Cooper Jones.
If the work “Comedian” makes people think about their moral responsibility, it raises serious questions beyond comedy.
Comparison with the art of Claude Monet:-
A painting from Claude Monet’s famous “Water Lilies” series will also be sold at the Sotheby’s auction, which is estimated to fetch $60 million. Comparing the art of Cattelan’s “Comedian” and Monet, Galperin said, “When the Impressionism movement began, it was not considered true art. There has been no significant work of art in the last 100-200 years that did not initially cause discomfort.”
It will be interesting to see how this work will perform at auction, evoking the concept of art appreciation, its humor and social message.